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Immunofluorescence Staining of Spindles, Chromosomes, and Kinetochores in Human Oocytes

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Mammalian Oocyte Regulation

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 957))

Abstract

Understanding how human oocytes execute chromosome segregation is of paramount importance as errors in this process account for the overwhelming majority of human aneuploidies and increase exponentially with advancing female age. The spindle is the cellular apparatus responsible for separating chromosomes at anaphase. For accurate chromosome segregation, spindle microtubules must establish appropriately configured attachments to chromosomes via kinetochores. With regard to understanding the mechanistic basis for human aneuploidies therefore, it will be important to explore the molecular underpinnings of spindle structure and the interaction of its microtubules with chromosomes in human oocytes. Here we describe a technique for simultaneously immunolabelling chromosomes, spindle microtubules and kinetochores in human oocytes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Fellowship to H.H. (082587/Z/07/Z). We are extremely grateful to Yoshanta Wade for her tireless work looking after the IVF patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Medicine Unit, EGA Wing, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK

    Solon Riris

  2. Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UK

    Solon Riris

  3. Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, Eastman Dental Hospital, London, UK

    Suzanne Cawood & Paul Serhal

  4. Mammalian Oocyte and Embryo Research Laboratory, Division of Biosciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK

    Liming Gui

  5. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UK

    Hayden A. Homer

Authors
  1. Solon Riris
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  2. Suzanne Cawood
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  3. Liming Gui
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  4. Paul Serhal
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  5. Hayden A. Homer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hayden A. Homer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Cell & Developmental Biology, University College London Institute for Women's Health, London, United Kingdom

    Hayden A. Homer

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Riris, S., Cawood, S., Gui, L., Serhal, P., Homer, H.A. (2013). Immunofluorescence Staining of Spindles, Chromosomes, and Kinetochores in Human Oocytes. In: Homer, H. (eds) Mammalian Oocyte Regulation. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 957. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-191-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-191-2_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-190-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-191-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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